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DAILY PROPHET
Week 27, 1969
The unrest from our neighbours in the States has drifted over the sea and found its way into our own country. This morning marked the date of yet another protest in front of the Ministry, by a group of Underbeings otherwise known as Squibs. They were causing great unrest for both Muggles and Magickind and the Auror Department joined the Muggle Police Force to subdue them quickly.
More information about these riots will follow soon, as for now several of the protesters are in Police and Auror custody and are being questioned. The reason for their presence on the steps of the Ministry is as of yet unknown.
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Arabella knew it was only a matter of time before her cell door would open and someone would come and retrieve her. She had been lucky that the Muggle Police had been the ones to arrest her, compared to the Aurors, her chances of getting out were a lot better now.
The scrape of a key in the lock alerted her to the presence of at least one officer, but the face that met hers as the door opened was that of Marius. He had been a good friend for years, and though he had been present during the March, he hadn't been arrested and would be her ticket to freedom. It certainly had some perks to be friends with someone who had enough money to bail her out, as long as she wasn't arrested by Aurors she would be free within the day and ready to be present to lead the March the next day.
"You're free to go, your friend here paid your bail. Now scram and don't let me see you again near the Ministry."
Arabella barely paid the officer enough attention to nod at the appropriate times, as all her attention was on dragging Marius outside the police department as fast as possible. They had to reconvene with the others and plan their next movement.
They had been going like this for days and nothing had changed, apart from the Aurors and Police using more and more force to chase them away. They couldn't go on like this forever, and it wasn't as if public opinion was in their favour either. They had tried peaceful marching, not so peaceful marching, protesting in front of the Ministry, and now throwing stones through the window of the Minister of Magic. If she didn't want herself and her friends to end up in Azkaban (despite that being illegal to do to someone that wasn't a wixen), they needed to change their approach.
Marius kept his mouth shut until they reached their Headquarters (his flat that his younger sister had bought for him), but when they closed the door behind them, the floodgates opened.
"Bella, we can't go on like this. Nothing good is happening, and you were already arrested, but some Purebloods arrived at the scene and they killed Argus' sister. They probably didn't mean to, but it has happened and no one cares. Tomorrow they will be back and go after us again. The Aurors won't protect us and I will not let anymore of our people get killed. And if that means accepting we won't be able to change their minds then that is the price."
Arabella's eyes flitted around the flat, noting the lack of any of their friends and their belongings. Everything that had shown they were going to change the world was gone together with the people ready to fight for their rights.
"Bella, look at me."
Arabella looked at Marius. His eyes were red, something she hadn't noticed in her haste to go back to the flat. He was wringing his hands together and there were blood spatters on his favourite yellow sweater.
"It's over. Everyone left, we will hold a funeral for Snowy Filch, but then everyone will go back to where they came from."
Marius left Arabella alone in the apartment with those final words hanging in the air. She didn't know how much time had passed when he pressed a plate into her hands and led her to the table.
"I talked with my sister, her lover told her about another movement that is recruiting members. The Headmaster has set it up as a group of vigilantes to defend the Wizarding World from Voldemort and his supporters. She said Squibs can join too, that might be a place for you to have your voice heard."
Arabella looked up from her meal of stale vegetables, to look in the fitting black eyes of her best friend. She knew she had always been the reason their movement had gained as much traction as it had. The others had been in agreement, but they hadn't been willing to pay whatever price it would be for them to get the same rights as any other person.
Marius understood, he too had been born in an old family (far older than her own, though the consequence of being born the way they were had been exactly the same), and had only a younger sister willing to speak with him in secret. But still, he had an apartment and a line back into the Wizarding World, at the end of the day his life was not great, but not bad enough to risk his life for.
"Here is the address of her lover, she still has a house somewhere in Scotland in a Muggle town. You should be able to get there without any magic and the Ministry won't be able to say something about you going to live among the Muggles. You can stay in her house for the time being and get in contact with the Headmaster. He has political power, far more than we will ever get, he will be able to help you once you join his movement."
Arabella quietly accepted the slip of paper. The next morning she was gone from London on the train to Caithness, Scotland.